Just an Idea

Many times the discussion just flows naturally from your enjoyment of the book but if you think you need extra input, you could…
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-Choose a conversation leader. This could be the host for the month, or perhaps another rotating member. The leader needs to be aware of each member's different styles of discussing - some people have no problem giving their opinions and find it hard to hold themselves back while others need to be encouraged! It is a good idea, early on in the life of a bookclub, to discuss what each person thinks is their own style in a discussion - the louder, more extroverted ones don't generally mind the occasional reminder to hold back, if it is done in humour.

-Discussion Questions/Reading guides You can often get discussion questions off the internet for a particular book. Try the discussion questions here or on publisher's websites. Don't fall into the trap of using discussion questions that make you feel like you are in a literary exam. They are only meant to be conversation starters and help focus your group's thinking about a book. Also watch out for alienating somebody who doesn't feel quite as literary as the others - everybody's opinion is valid.

-Leader sets discussion topics. The leader (the host or the person who chose the particular book) could choose some favourite passages in the book to start the discussion and have some basic discussion questions ready to get it going, A bit of research about the author or background to the book helps. Emailing the others before hand with some question starters is a good idea.

-Individual preparation. As preparation each individual chooses a favourite passage, a question about something they didn't understand, or something about the book or author to add to the conversation. Take it in turns to talk about each person's response to the book. Preparation shouldn't become too much like homework though!

-General Topic Guidelines. These are some general topic guidelines. Bear in mind these are very general - each book will have specific issues that will leap out at you.


Subject - What is the book about?, Why did the author choose this?
Plot - does it work? Too simple or complicated? Resolved or unresolved? Time frame? Is the ending satisfying or not? Why?
Characters - Single or many? Well developed or simple? How did you feel about the characters? How does the author use the characters to tell the story?
Point of view - How was the story told? - one voice or many? In the first person -" I" - or a distant narrator's voice? How did the voice influence the tone of the story?
Setting - Where and when? Is the setting important to the story? Is it evoked well? Realistic? Or not? Does it matter?
Themes - What are the major themes the author is trying to explore?
Style - what is the author's style of writing? Ie descriptive, lyrical, forceful, emotive, spare, blunt, wordy, … Does the style work for you or not?
Reviews - find some critics opinions of the books and discuss whether you agree or disagree.
Author - compare with other books, What is the author trying to achieve with the writing? What works for you or doesn't? Will you try and read another one by this author?
Enjoyment - was reading this book enjoyable or hard work? Why? What do you think the author wanted you to feel or think?

Generally it is better to let the discussion flow from what you think of the book. Often the best books for discussion are the ones that polarize opinions- half the group love the book and the others hate it and nobody can understand how they can!. If nobody feels particularly strongly about the book, then have coffee early and discuss something else!

7. Other Ideas

What ever format works for your group is up to you but you can still change and adapt it as you go along. It is often a good idea to do something different or totally creative occasionally. Some ideas are…

-Have a theme night. Pick a theme i.e. Indian, Italian, Western, New York, Irish, medieval…choose the books around the theme, more than one maybe, and organize the food, music etc to match the theme.

-Have an author night - choose one author and each member reads a different book and reports back briefly. Compare main themes or issues.